This is the sixth of the biennial international conferences on Wind Turbine Noise. Many of us thought, when Geoff Leventhall opened his first conference in Berlin in 2005, that by 2015 all the noise issues with wind turbines would have been solved and the conferences would no longer be necessary. The opposite is true and last year’s conference, held unusually outside Europe, attracted nearly 200 delegates from 22 countries representing manufacturers, developers, researchers, environmentalists, pressure groups, consultants and exhibitors.

The sixth conference will once again provide an opportunity for all those with an interest in wind turbine noise, its generation, its prediction, its assessment and its effects on people, to meet together and discuss common problems and solutions.

At this conference, for the first time, we will be having poster as well as oral presentations – ideal where more explanation or discussion of a topic is needed. The venue has a large open break-out space and this will be open before and, in particular, after oral presentations each day giving time for networking over refreshments, discussions round the posters and informal workshops on “hot topics”. The oral presentations are expected to be 20 minutes.

Offers of papers for this conference are invited and prospective authors should submit a 200 to 300-word abstract by 15 November 2014. There is a template for this on the website where you can sign-up to receive further information as time progresses. The conference website can be found at: http://windturbinenoise.eu

First main theme – How wind turbine noise is generated at source including mechanisms for AM.

There will be a core of a few oral presentations and posters presentations dealing with aerodynamic noise theory and research basis. To go with these core presentations we are looking for oral or poster papers dealing with source noise. Some suggestions – but not exclusive:

the theory of noise generation by wind turbines

the analysis of turbine noise near to turbines

how is amplitude modulation generated?

how do directivity patterns change when amplitude modulation occurs?

Second main theme: Propagation of sound from source to receiver.

Core presentations will deal with the theoretical basis behind sound propagation with particular emphasis on the peculiarities of propagation of turbine noise.

To go with these core presentations we are looking for oral or poster papers dealing with source noise. Some suggestions – but not exclusive:

Effects due to moving sources

Effects due to height of source

Effects due to large size of source

An ideal opportunity for a colourful poster display of propagation effects.

Third main theme: Effect of wind turbine noise on people.

We plan a series of keynote presentations – oral and posters – to introduce the subject. Abstracts are invited on all aspects of how turbine noise impacts on people. Some suggestions – but not exclusive:

Wind Turbine noise inside houses

Annoyance from turbine noise compared with other noise sources

Correlation between perception and noise level

Correlation between perception and modulation depth

Regulations and Policies. Is there a right way?

… and effects of turbine noise on animals would not be ruled out!

Presentations are not restricted to the three main themes. Some suggestions – but not exclusive:

Particular problems with small wind turbines

Background measurement techniques

Compliance measurement techniques

Vibration effects from turbines

Instrumentation for measurement of wind and noise

Windshields

An ideal opportunity for a poster presentation of instrumentation or measurement techniques.